Seamless stocking



R. w. scoTT SEAMIJESS STOCKING Filed OC'L. 14 .1922 l Aiss stent Apr.22, i924.

:euros w. SCOTT, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., AssIoNon. 'To HEMPHILL COMPANY, orCEN- TRAL FALLS, RHODE ISLAND, A CORPORATION or MAssACHUsETTs.

SEAMLESS STOCXING.

Application filed October 14, 1922; Serial No. 594,525.

To all whom z't may concern:

Be it known that I, RUFUs W. SCOTT, a citizen of the United States, anda resident of the city of New York, in the county of New York and Stateof New York, have invented an Improvement in Seamless Stock ings, ofwhich the following description, in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawingsrepresenting like parts.

This invention relates to seamless stockings. In order that theprinciple of the invention may be readily understood, I have disclosedcertain embodiments of the stocking of my invention in the accompanyingdrawing wherein,-

Fi l is a side elevation of a seamless stocking embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged and somewhat diaf grammatica detail showing themanner of orming a part of the back of a stocking in accordance with oneembodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 2 but of another embodiment of theinvention and which under certain conditions is the preferred formthereof.

The stocking of my invention is a socalled circular or seamless stockingknitted upon a circular machine having means for forming the heel andtoe pockets, such as narrowlng and widening pickers. While any suitablemechanism may be employed in the production of the stocking, the machineshould be equipped with means for introducing the main knitting yarn,and for introducing a pair of reenforcing yarns a-t the desired points,and desirably with means for changing the stitch length as the knittingprogresses.

My invention pertains more particularly to a mock seam which may be a.line of sewing machine stitches or a structural variation in theknitting of the stocking, in combination with a 'plurality of stripesmade by reenforcing threads, which features are so co-ordinated as tosimulate certain full fashioned stockings, notably those vwherein theselvaged edges of the leg portion are reenforced.

While the principle of my invention involving the cao-ordination of aline of sewing machine stitches or a structural variation in thecharacter of the knitting so as to form a mock seam during. the knittingoperation, and the adjacent pair of stripes produced by auxiliary orreenforcing threads, may be applied at any desired part of Ithe stockingor other fabric, it is Obvious that the simulation referred to can bestbe achieved` by forming the same at the back of the le of the stockingand accordingly such em odiment of the invention is herein disclosed andwill be sufliciently described without imiting the invention strictlythereto.

While for various reasons I prefer to form the mock seam as a line ofsewing machine stitches, I will first describe that other form of myinvention involving a structural variation of the fabric to produce amock seam. The structural variation to produce a mock seam during theformation of the stocking is desirably a tuck stitch formation, thoughother structural stitch changes may be employed, such, for example, asdraw stitches. If making a structural varia-tion," I preferably employtuck stitches and in order to emphasize the effect thereof, I may formtwo vertical rows of tuck stitches which' rows may adjoin or may beseparated by a single line of regular stitches, as hereinafter morefully disclosed.

The pair of stripes which are respectively upon opposite sides of theline of tuck stitches is desirably formed by introducing two auxiliaryor so-called reenforcing threads in any known Or suitable manner,beginning desirably at or near the upper end vof the stocking and forany suitable width, as for example, from six to ten wales upon each sideof the line or lines of tuck stitches, but without incorporation intothe tuck stitches themselves. The result is best accomplished byintroducing each of the two reenforcing threads to its series of needlesso that said reenforcing threads are interknitted with the main yarn fora suitable number of stitches, after which each reenforcing yarn isoated back to the commencement edge of its own stripe, such action beingrepeated throughout the length of the stripe. While I refer to twodistinct reenforcing yarns which are desirably introduced by twoseparate yarn guides or lingers, it is to be understood in certain casesI may use a single reenforcing thread which is iirst fed to a suficientnumber of needles to make a partial course in one of said stripes and isthen severed and then reintroduced to a sufcient number ot other needlesto make a partial course in the other stripe at the other side of themock seam, this action being repeated 5 throughout the length of thestripe. Preferably however l employ two separate reenforcing' threadsand in each case float each thread from the terminating edge of itsstripe hack to the commencement edge l@ thereof. ln each case eachreenforcing yarn is preferably interknitted with the main yarn or threadin every course throughout the length of the two stripes, but within thescope of my invention l may vary this, l5 as by introducing eachreenforcing thread to alternate courses only and at the same timealternate the introduction of the'two freenforcing threads. rll`hat isto say, in'one of Said stripes l may interknit the reenforc- 2@ ingthread therefor into the rst, third, lifth, etc., courses and for theother stripe l may introduce and interknit the other reenforcing threadinto the second, fourth,

sixth, etc., courses only, thus breaking joints 25 as it were with thereeni'orcing threads in the two stripes. This edect may also be securedin the case where l used the same reeniorcing thread for the twostripes, but

sever such reenforcing thread between the 3o two stripesn l Referringmore particularly to the drawing, the stocking 1s indicated generally atl, it having desirably a seamless heel 2 and toe 3, a high splice d ofany suitable shape being provided in the knitting operation byintroducing a reenforcing yarn, which may be the same yarn or thread asone ot those employed for knitting the longitudinal pair of stripes, ora substitute yarn or thread.

The stocking may be knitted from any suitable material, as for example,silk, and beginning at or near the upper end of the stocking, as forexample, at the bottom of the so-called welt portion, l introduce a pairof reenforcing yarns or threads which may be ted to the needles in anysuitable manner, as for example, by two special yarnl lingers atsuitable points. where the needles are divided by special cams, so thatthe needles which are not to take the auxiliary yarns or threads areeither elevated or depressed, and the auxiliary yarns or threads aredelivered to the other needles which in each case may be of any desirednumber, as for example, from six to ten at each side of the back medianline of the stocking.

The stocking may be knitted upon any suitable type of machine, as forexample, a circular knitting machine wherein the needle cylinder isstationary and the cam ring rotates or a machine wherein the needlecylinder rotates and the cam ring is sta tionary. llt knitted upon amachine wherein the needle cylinder rotates, ll provide means,

(ifi

neemt? unnecessary to describe herein at length, to prevent the tworeenrorcing yarns or threads from twisting about each other dur ingthose times when said yarns or threads are not being interknitted withthe main yarn, that is, when said reenforcing yarns' or threads havereached the concluding edge of each stripe and is withheld from actionuntil such yarn or thread is reintroduced at the commencement edge ohits stripe.

. ln Figure 2 l have represented the main arn at 5 and the auxiliaryyarns at 6 and xl7, and for convenience ot' illustration merely haverepresented the two reenforcing yarns or threads as incorporated intothe knitting for three wales only at each side of the median back lineof the stocking. 'llhe knitted loops whereinto the auxiliary yarns orthreads 6 and 7 are introduced are desirably plain loops such as areformed in regular knitting, but at the back median line of thestocking-and referring only to that form ot my invention shown in FigureQ-l. form during the knitting operation a mock seam b some suitablestructural variation in the abric, such for example, as two lines orwales of tuck stitches indicated at 8, 9, which two lines orwalespreferably adjoin, but which may be separated by a line of plainstitches. My invention is not limited to the employment of a pluralityof lines or wales of tuck stitches, as in certain cases a single line orwale of tuck stitches may be suilicient, and in any case the structuralVariation may he of any other suitable character that will constitute amock seam, as for example, draw stitches.. l may in some cases form themock seam .each case is ioated back or away from said tuck stitches asindicated at 10, ll in Fig. 2, at the inside or back of the fabric.,'llhus each stripe is wholly distinct from the mock seam, thoughcoordinating or cooperating therewith to produce the simulation reerredto.

llt will be evident that the line or double line of tuck stitcheslsimulates the actual seam at the back of the leg ot a full fashionedstocking, and that the pair of stripes simulate the reenforced selvageedges characteristic of many full fashioned stocking egs.

It, as is preferable, the stocking be knitted of silk, and thereenforcing yarns be ot cotton., the stitches forming the structuralvariations between the two stripes are knitted liti@ lll@ lil@

wholly of silk and not of silk and cotton, as the reenforcing yarns orthreads do not enter into the formation of the mock seam. r[he silk yarnor thread presents a pleasing contrast to the silk and cotton yarns orthreads of the adjacent reenforced stripes and removes an objectionresulting from the use of both silk and cotton yarns or threads, namelythat the cotton tends to work to the face of the fabric and thus partlyobscure the silk. Within thescope of my invention however any othersuitable kind of yarn or thread may be em loyed.

In this form ofp my invention the transverse elasticity of the knittedportion of the fabric between the two stripes is in no way impaired andthe mock seam of tuck stitches or other structural variation does notimpair the longitudinal elasticity of the stocking.

In Figure 3 I have represented another form of my invent-ion and whichfor many purposes is the preferred form or embodiment thereof. Therein,1 form two stripes as described with respect to Figure 2 and haveindicated the two reenforcing yarns or threads at 12, 13 the floatedportions of said yarns or threads being respectively indicated at 14,15.Between said two stripes I leave a suitable number of rows or wales ofplain knitting formed only by the main yarn or thread 16 and after thestocking is comv pleted I sew a line of sewing machine stitchesindicated at 17 along the back median line of the stocking to form amock seam. This may be done in any usual or well known manner and neednot be described at length. In this form of my invention .it will beobserved that since the float thread lengths are short, the trans'-verse elasticity of the stocking is not impaired thereby.

It is clearly to be understood that my invention may be incorporated inknitted fabrics other than stockings and hose.

Having thus described certain specific embodiments of my invention andthe best modes known to me for producing the same, I desire it'to be'understood that although specific terms are employed, they are used ina generic and descriptive sense and not for the purpose of limitation,the scope of the invention being set forth in the following claims.

Claims:

1. A so-called seamless stocking having a mock seam extending through asubstantial part of the stocking, `the adjoining part o the stocking ateach side of said mock seam having an auxiliary thread incorporatedthereinto but wholly distinct from said mock seam, but with the sameconstituting a simulation of a. seamed selvaged reenforcement of a fullfashioned stocking.

2. A so-called seamless stocking having at the back of the leg a mockseam extending lengthwise thereof, said mock seam having adjoining theseam at each side thereof a knitted in auxiliary yarn or threadconstituting a lengthwise stripe, said two stripes being whollydisconnected but together cooperating with said mock seam to constitutea simulation of the seamedreenforced selvage of a full fashionedstocking.

3. A so-called seamless stocking having at the back of the leg alongitudinally extending mock seam composed of a line of tuck stitchesof the main yarn or thread only and two stripes respectively at oppositesides thereof but adjacent thereto and paralleling the same, each ofsaid stripes being composed of a portion of the main yarn or thread andan auxiliary yarn or thread interknitted therewith but floated acrosssuch stripe at the inside of the stockin each floated arn or threadbeing conn to the latera dimensions of its stripe, whereby a simulationof the seamed reinforced selvage of a full fashioned'stocking isproduced and whereby the floated portions of said yarns or threads areof such short length as not to impair the transverse elasticity of thestocking.

4. A so-called seamless stocking havmg at the back of the leg alongitudinally extending line of tuck stitches constituting a mock seamand at each side thereof and in close proximity thereto a knitted inauxiliary thread providing two stripes wholly distinct from each otherand from said mock seam so far as said auxiliary threads are concernedbut cooperating with said mock seam to produce a simulation of thesea-med reenforced selvage of a full fashioned stocking.

5. A so-called seamless stocking having at the back of the leg alongitudinally extending mock seam and two stripes respectively atopposite sides thereof but adjacent thereto and paralleling the same,each of said stripes being composed of a portion of the main yarn orthread and an auxiliary yarn or thread interknitted therewith butfloated across such stripe at the inside of the stocking, each floatedyarn or thread being c onlined to the lateral dimensions of lts str1pe,whereby a simulation of theseamed reenforced selvage 4of a fullfashioned stocking is produced and whereby the floated portions of saidyarns or threads are of such short length as not to impair thetransverse f elasticity of the stockin In testimony whereo-I have signedmy name to this specicatlon.

RUFUS W. SCOTT.

